


you'll still be looking out for me / when my mind is a mess and my heart's not there

by hopecanbeyoursword



Series: vows [1]
Category: Brooklyn Nine-Nine (TV), Marvel Cinematic Universe, Percy Jackson and the Olympians - Rick Riordan, Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017)
Genre: Adoption, F/M, Happy Ending, Irondad, Jake is two years older than Percy and three years older than Peter, M/M, MY BABIES, Mentions of Injuries, Mentions of PTSD, Next Generation, Nightmares, Parent Tony Stark, Soulmate-Identifying Marks, Soulmates, canon PJO events, consistent verb tense doesn't exist in this story, even though there are hard days, harley keener makes a quick appearance, new Avengers generation mentioned, not sure where this idea came from but i love it anyways, percy peter and jake are my favorites, slightly adjusted Peter Parker events, spiderson, there are also good days, time lines adjusted, title from a song, universe may be continued in the future
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-30
Updated: 2019-01-30
Packaged: 2019-10-18 11:02:55
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 19,539
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17579633
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/hopecanbeyoursword/pseuds/hopecanbeyoursword
Summary: It's hard being a demigod. It's hard being a masked superhero. It's hard being a detective.But their soulmates make their lives worth it, even with all the ups and downs.





	you'll still be looking out for me / when my mind is a mess and my heart's not there

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Kimi since I made her wait to read this](https://archiveofourown.org/gifts?recipient=Kimi+since+I+made+her+wait+to+read+this), [HaleyStarrfighter](https://archiveofourown.org/users/HaleyStarrfighter/gifts).



> Title taken from Naomi Scott's "Vows."

No one was sure when soul marks started showing up, but now, it was commonplace. They appeared on a child’s twelfth birthday, representing who their soulmate would be. Then, at age sixteen, anything one wrote on their arm would appear on their soulmate’s. It was double security, knowing without a doubt who your soulmate was going to be.

Occasionally, someone would have more than one mark, and those were recorded by the Studies of Soul Marks Division. There were only a handful recorded in history, and those people were seen as special, and were highly respected.

Not everyone met their soulmate, but knowing that somewhere there was someone who would love you unconditionally was usually more than enough. 

Though soulmate pairings were the norm, it was not unheard of for people to settle down and live happy lives with people who weren’t their soulmates, because soulmates didn’t mean everything would be perfect.

 

—

 

When Jake Peralta turned twelve, his mark showed up.

He watched, wide eyed as it formed on his left wrist, the striking blue-green trident outlined in a thin strip of black, resting over a back drop of waves.

He smiled as he traced it, in awe of the beauty of it, the hidden power that was the sea. Jake wondered what his soulmate would be like. Would they be strong and powerful, with an underlying current of compassion? What version of the sea would they be?

And then another shape started taking shape on his right wrist, and his eyes widened even further. It was rare for a three way bond, but it was highly respected. Jake never though he would be part of one, happy enough with the thought that somewhere, he had a soulmate. Now he knew he had two.

A black spider took form first, before the backdrop of red with white webs blossomed into color behind it.

“Jake?” His mom called through the closed door. “Are you awake?”

He fumbled to get off the bed, yanking the door open as he beamed. “I got my soul mark!” He held up the left wrist first, letting her see the waves. As she moved to hug him, proud, he held up the other one. “I have two!”

He spent the rest of the day wondering what his soulmates would be like.

 

—

 

Percy Jackson is twelve, and his mom is gone, and he’s trying to stay alive. He’s still reeling about the fact that he’s a demigod and the gods exist and—

He doesn’t give the marks much thought. He can’t afford to, not now. He’s running for his life. It doesn’t matter who his soulmates (plural!) are, not if he doesn't survive.

 

—

 

Percy’s marks were hidden. He knew they were there, the day he turned twelve. But they were vague, colorless with blurred lines. 

He was claimed, and they were in full color.

 

—

 

Peter runs to his aunt and uncle’s room the morning he turns twelve.

They hug him, let him talk and talk and talk about what his soulmates will be like.

He has two, and he’s lucky. They’re in bright colors, bright souls that will fall into place with him.

But somewhere in his mind, he wonders about the dark outlines. Why are they the purest black he’s ever seen?

 

—

 

Jake knew he couldn’t start talking to them until he turned sixteen. So on his sixteenth birthday, he wrote a message to them on his left arm.

Jake didn’t get a response, but he wasn’t worried yet. He might just be the oldest of them all.

And then it was almost two years later and he still hadn’t gotten a message.

Still, he made sure to have the phrase “Happy birthday soulmate!” on his arm, tucked away under the sleeves of his hoodie.

 

—

 

Peter cries at his uncle’s funeral, gripping his wrists tightly, wishing his soulmates could be there for him.

He wishes he was old enough to talk to them. He wonders if he’ll fail them, too. If he’ll loose them like he lost his parents, and now uncle Ben.

The last thing he wants is to hurt them.

 

—

 

Percy digs his nails into the palms of his hands when things get too overwhelming. There are faded, white, crescent moon scars, ones unhealed by ambrosia or nectar.

He used to hate them. He wonders what his soulmates will think when they see them.

He never scars his wrists, not wanting to do that to his marks.

 

—

 

The summer after Jake turned sixteen was like any other. Until it wasn’t.

For a heart stopping moment, Jake could’ve sworn the beautiful blues and greens of the trident and waves faded.

Two blinks later, and they were back.

Had his soulmate almost died?

 

—

 

Percy’s body is on fire and then there’s nothing.

He wakes up on Ogygia.

 

—

 

The first time the trident fades, Peter cries.

He can’t fail them. His parents are gone, have been gone, and he doesn’t want to loose his soulmate, too.

He spends the night curled up between his aunt and uncle, clutching his left wrist tightly.

The mark is perfectly fine when he wakes up.

 

—

 

Jake graduated high school, and still hadn’t gotten any message from either of his soulmates. He was starting to loose hope, but instead focused on figuring out what he wanted to do after college. He was going in undecided, but knew he needed to figure his future out.

And then, on August 18th, he finally got a message back.

_It’s not really all that happy, but thanks_

What happened? 

Jake was quick to write back, having waited this long. He knew his soulmate was responding to the happy birthday message.

_luke died. and michael, and silena’s gone and so is beckendorf and i almost died, too. too many died_

i wish i knew how to help

_just knowing i can talk to one of my soulmates is good enough rn_

 

—

 

Percy is locked away in his cabin, Annabeth tucked under the blanket with him.

They have won the war, but they have lost too much. They have seen too much. They can’t be happy, not yet.

They stick together, tracing over their soulmate marks, hoping to find them.

They are both seen as lucky. They both have two.

 

—

 

where are u from?

_new york. manhattan_

i’m in brooklyn!

Jake and Percy made sure to leave those notes on their arms, tracing over them when they started to fade. When their third turned sixteen, they wanted him to know where they were, and that they wished him a happy birthday.

 

—

 

For two months, things were wonderful.

Jake has one soulmate to talk to, the one who embodies the ocean, the one who he affectionately calls Sea Prince.

They talk about their lives, what they want to do in the future.

Jake knows his soulmate is keeping secrets, based on the vague responses to some of his questions, but he lets it go.

He figures his soulmate will tell him when he’s ready.

 

—

 

And then, in the fall, things change.

 

—

 

It’s the fall of his first semester in college when Jake stops getting responses from the Sea Prince. The last few responses are still on his skin, as if they were just written. They don’t fade.

Jake gets agitated, hoping nothing bad has happened to the one soulmate he’s talked to so far. He wonders, for the first time, if it’s something he’s done.

 

—

 

Peter is a superhero, tries to balance his personal life and his hero life.

It’s a lot to balance, and he relies on Ned, and Mr. Stark a lot. And then May when she finds out, and MJ, who figures it out on her own.

With all that’s going on, he pushes the soulmate idea to the side. There’s something big coming.

 

—

 

Months pass, the end of fall turning to winter, turning to spring.

Percy wakes up alone, the two soul marks on his wrists faded, and shapeless. It’s only the reassurance that they’re not completely gray that calms him down.

He tries to remember them. He _knows_ he’s talked to at least one of them, can see the illegible words on his arms. But he can’t remember anything about them.

Two names pop up, somewhere in his memories. Annabeth and Rachel. For a second, he thinks that maybe they’re his soulmates. But they don’t feel right, even though he feels a surge of emotion when he whispers the names out loud. Maybe they’re family.

Whatever they are to him, their names were all he had.

 

—

 

Jake never felt more helpless than he did during the first half of his second semester. Sea Prince hasn’t answered in weeks, and his mark is fading, as if he’s inaccessible. And it hurts, but the spider is still just as bright as always.

Until all the color is gone, just like that.

His soulmate, the one who he never spoke to, the one who is the youngest, is dead.

 

—

 

People start coming back, and the fight is over.

The Avengers are battered and bruised, and in mourning, but they have saved the world.

Jake’s spider comes back.

 

—

 

It’s the end of his first year of college, and he’s almost nineteen. 

In the early days of May as he’s moving out of his dorm, words form on his skin. He thinks it’s his Sea Prince, but he doesn’t recognize the handwriting.

**i’m glad i’m finally sixteen. have i been making u two wait long?**

He knows it’s his spider, the one who had died, and Jake nearly cries in relief. He can’t believe that even with the faded marks, that they’re both still alive.

The weeks he carried two faded marks had been hard, his grades and sleep schedule suffering. It was only when his professors found out that he had two marks, and both were gray, that they lightened up on him.

To lose a soulmate at such a young age was traumatizing. But loosing two, at almost the same time, and under twenty years old, was unheard of.

not too long. i’m just happy to hear from you

**are you trident or pineapple?**

pineapple. i call trident sea prince.

**sea prince? you there?**

i haven’t heard from him in months. I'm afraid something happened to him

 

—

 

Peter was ecstatic to get a quick response, but his face fell when Pineapple tells him that their third hasn’t been heard from in months. Glancing up at the computer in front of him, he writes a question.

**what do u know about him? maybe i can figure it out**

unless you’re in the police or something, idk how you could

**i’m not, but i have something that might work**

Peter logged into the computer, glad that he was at the Avengers compound to celebrate his birthday. He had Stark resources at his fingertips.

he’s almost seventeen (aug 18) and lives in manhattan w/his mom & 2nd stepfather

Peter wiped off his writing from his arm, giving him more space to respond if he found anything. Taking the information Pineapple gave him, he got to work. To let Pineapple know he was still there, Peter quickly scribbled down his location, knowing anything more than a city wouldn’t work.

**by the way, i’m from queens**

 

—

 

Jake waits anxiously, pulled over in a parking lot. He doesn’t want to miss any information Spider Boy might be able to find on their Sea Prince.

When he reads the most recent message, he smiles. They’re all New Yorkers.

i hope we meet soon

**me too**

Five more minutes go by, and Jake tries to pass the time by texting Gina. She starts telling him about a girl who showed up half an hour late to a final, hungover and with a goat she doesn’t remember buying, when he gets a response from Spider Boy.

**there’s a missing person report that fits. filed late last year. hasn’t been pulled. i wish i could show it to u. i’ll keep u updated**

and his name? do you know it?

**yes**

 

—

 

Percy sees more illegible words show up over the course of his quest with Hazel and Frank, and he’s frustrated he can’t read them, or respond back.

He’s happy that Frank and Hazel have each other, and he thinks they are a good example of soulmates.

He just wishes he had his.

Percy never gets any memories of them back, but he dreams of Annabeth, once. It’s enough to keep him going until the gorgon blood kicks in, and memories slowly start seeping back.

 

—

 

He’s standing besides Frank, Hazel and Reyna, tugging at the toga wrapped around him. He feels out of place, a Greek among Romans, the only one who can’t remember much about his soulmates.

He wondered if part of the reason he was made praetor was because, just like Jason and Reyna, he was part of a three part bond. The two Romans were bonded with each other, waiting for their third who wasn’t a Roman. They had talked with her, and when Percy first met Reyna, one of her marks seemed familiar to him, though at the time, he hadn’t been sure why.

 

—

 

The Romans highly respected the unique bond of a trio, proud that their praetors were one of the rare bonds.

And now they have a three for three record, and even though he feels out of place, these people were nice to him, took him in when they could’ve thrown him out.

He stands taller, sparing a quick glance at his new legion tattoo.

 

—

 

Tattoos can be shared by soulmates, but only if the specially developed ink is used.

Camp Jupiter doesn’t use it for their legion tattoos, since there are too many soulmate pairs in New Rome. It wouldn’t be practical to have overlapping tattoos.

But when it’s time for Percy to get his, he hesitates. He almost wishes they used the transferable ink, just so his soulmates would know he’s still alive. 

 

—

 

Reyna stared at the words from her Owl, the only few that are never removed. She thinks it’s because Jason can’t remember her, remember New Rome, the same way Percy couldn’t remember Camp Half-Blood and his soulmates.

**_he’s with me. safe_ **

Reyna knows now, that Jason was safe at the Greek camp with their third. The stress of him being gone was still weighing on her, but knowing he wasn’t alone helped. 

He was coming back to her, bringing their Owl, and they’d finally all be together.

Glancing over at her fellow praetor, another with a three part bond, her smile drops. She hopes his soulmates are okay, that they are worried about him. He has not written to them since he got his memories back, because the marks are still faded. They are clearer, but not enough to reconnect the bond.

He is happy for her. He knows one person who will for sure be on the ship. Her third. He knows her, as she is his best friend, one of the only names he was given when he woke up without memories.

Once his memories came back, he realized why one of the marks on Reyna’s skin looked  familiar. He remembered his best friend’s marks, and one is Jason’s. The eagle placed in front of a lightning bolt is also on Annabeth’s wrist.

It isn’t fair that he can give her good news about the daughter of Athena, when he has nothing of his soulmates.

 

—

 

When Percy remembered Camp Half-Blood, Reyna had left a message for her Owl.

_your best friend is safe. he’s here_

Though Reyna wrote the words months after Annabeth left the ones saying Jason was safe, it comforted the blonde. In written words from her soulmate, and a small familiar “Hi” from Percy, she knew her best friend was safe.

 

—

 

Before he knows it, he is off with six other demigods on a quest to save the world, to fight Gaea.

He sees the soulmated pairs, leaving him the odd one out.

Percy knows it’s hard on Jason and Annabeth not to have Reyna with them, but she has her own duties. She will lead the Romans, and make contact with Camp Half-Blood.

Annabeth splits her time between Jason and Percy, but her soulmate tends to end up with a little more of her time.

Hazel and Frank try and include him in group activities, but often he just smiles and says he’s okay. They don’t believe it, but they know better than to press. Percy deals (not really) by being alone, and after their quest together, they know when his mouth sets into a firm line and his eyes get a shade darker that he needs quiet.

He doesn’t know Piper or Leo all that well, but they make each other happy, and Leo has become one of Jason’s best friends, and Piper one of Annabeth’s. Because of this, the two pairs spend a lot of time together.

It’s only at night that Percy runs his finger over his marks, wondering what his soulmates (Spider Boy and Pineapple) are doing.

 

—

 

The trident gets brighter when Spider Boy informs Jake that the missing person’s report has been redacted.

They both hope Sea Prince will write to them soon, but since the wave is still three shades too light, they know they still have to wait.

They hope he is okay.

 

—

 

Peter sometimes wonders what it would’ve been like if he had been sixteen during the Avenger’s Civil War and the events of his homecoming. Or the fight against Thanos.

It had been enough to know they were out there, but if they could’ve helped him through everything, he wonders if he would get nightmares less often.

 

—

 

Jake watches in horror as the trident, which was almost back to normal, fades to gray in the time it took him to blink.

It almost resembles a mark that many elderly people have: the faded mark of a dead soulmate. But there is just enough green left at the edge of the trident that he knows that Sea Prince is still alive.

Jake trembles as he reaches for the pen he keeps near his bed, aware that his eyes are tearing up.

he’s in trouble. i wish we could help

 

**so do i**

 

—

 

Peter knows that Pineapple had suffered through the fading of his mark. Peter had died, but he was back now. He wonders if Sea Prince will ever know, if Peter himself will ever know how Pineapple took having a dead soulmate while the other hadn’t been heard from in months.

 

—

 

While they wait for their Sea Prince, Peter finally brings up the war with Thanos. He knows their trident is faded, and the pain Pineapple must’ve felt when Peter’s mark went dead had to have been unbearable.

They talk about it through teary eyes and smudged words, but they both feel a little bit lighter.

Peter’s identity as one of the masked heroes is still a secret.

 

—

 

Percy pushes on for his soulmates, for Annabeth’s soulmates. Spider Boy, Pineapple, Jason and Reyna don’t deserve the pain of their soulmate dying.

Tartarus is hard, and he wishes more than ever before that he could write to his soulmates. But he has no pen, and the marks are still a shade too light.

 

—

 

Annabeth uses Riptide to send a message to camp, uses it to reassure Reyna and Jason that they’re both still alive.

She does it when she thinks Percy is sleeping, knowing it hurts him to see her get responses.

 

—

 

Percy breaks, feels all the pain he’s felt spill out, manifesting into the strongest show of his powers yet.

He can control poison, uses it to hurt the goddess of misery.

He only stops when he sees how terrified Annabeth is. He won’t hurt her. He will  _never_ hurt her.

 

—

 

They are out of Tartarus, and Annabeth is immediately wrapped up in Jason’s arms.

Percy fakes a smile, and hides away in his room.

He tries writing to his soulmates.

 

—

 

Peter has to be careful what he writes on his arms. He doesn’t want his secret identity getting out. He can’t risk villains finding out who his soulmates are and going after them, or the public speculating on who they might be, or fans getting fake marks to match.

As Peter Parker, he’s safe, but he still worries someone might figure out his secret identity. People are already suspicious enough as it is with the internship cover, since Tony Stark is not known to hire interns, especially one still in high school.

When he’s out in public as Spiderman, he avoids all questions about romance.

Mr. Stark helps him out with that.

 

—

 

Finally, they have won the war.

But all Percy can focus on is the fact that both his marks are in full color again.

He grabs a pen.

 

—

 

Jake is in Gina’s apartment when it shows up.

They’re exchanging stories of the craziest people they met in college when Gina notices.

“Hey, Jakey. You’ve got a message. And it isn’t Spider Boy’s writing.”

 

—

 

“Peter.” MJ snaps her fingers in front of his face.

“What?” he responds, voice laden with stress.

“Your arm.”

And there, Peter sees handwriting he’s never seen before.

 

—

 

_hey guys_

Percy doesn’t know what to write. It’s been months since he talked to Pineapple, and during the time he was… away… Spider Boy turned sixteen. The other two had time to get to know each other, while the demigod felt almost like an outsider.

sea prince!

Percy frowns as he sees the smudged n-c-e. His soulmate is crying.

i’ve missed you. are you okay???

**i’m glad you’re alive**

They talk until Percy falls asleep, physically, mentally, and emotionally exhausted. Now that he’s back, it feels like they have all the time in the world.

 

—

 

Peter knows that Sea Prince is Percy Jackson, aged seventeen, son of Sally Jackson, father unlisted. He knows where his soulmate lives, and with who (mother, half sister, second step-father, first one still labeled as missing), knows he could go see him.

But he waits.

Percy is still healing from whatever he went through, and Peter and Pineapple want to give him time.

 

—

 

Percy is seventeen (against all odds), and he has a family.

He has his mom, and Paul, and Estelle. His dad is there, when he can be. More than some of the other gods.

And he has his soulmates.

 

—

 

Jake gets ready for his second year of college.

Gina is going to be living with him, so he doesn’t feel alone. They are ready to face the next stage of life like they always do: together.

 

—

 

They talk when they can, but they’re all busy.

Jake’s in college, and Peter is an Avenger now (and they’re working on learning to work together again) and Percy is trying to live a normal life, while not loosing touch with both camps.

 

—

 

Percy is just finishing fighting a hellhound when he notices a message from Spider Boy. It’s hastily scrawled, the last word smudged.

**this may not be the best time but**

**i just saw you duck into an alley**

Percy blinked. He knew Spider Boy knew what he looked like. He had found the missing persons report his mom had filed. He knew the youngest of them could find him at any time.

But now, he was close by.

**i didn’t follow you. i’m at the starbucks, if you wanna meet.**

**don’t feel pressured.**

 

—

 

Peter stared out the window, fingers anxiously tapping out disjointed rhythms on the table. One of his soulmates, Percy Jackson, is so close. He wanted to follow him, but made himself stay still.

The door opens, and Peter’s eyes snap towards the door, hoping to see Percy, the almost six feet of him with windswept black hair and intriguing eyes.

It’s not him. Instead, a petite girl with brown hair walks in, and grabs her mobile order, exiting almost as quickly as she entered.

Just as Peter is ready to give up, he senses a figure in front of him.

“Hi.”

 

—

 

Jake hadn’t gotten to look at his arms all day, too busy with school to check up on his soulmates. He knew they were writing, could see the flashes of blue and black ink.

He finally looks, and what he sees makes his heart stop.

His soulmates have run into each other, _in person_. They have met.

Jake wished he wasn’t in school.

 

—

 

Somehow, Percy _knew_ the boy tucked into a corner table by the window was his soulmate. And when he got close enough, there was a shared mark.

Spider Boy looked up, a huge smile spreading across his face. “Percy,” he breathed. He stood up, wrapping his arms around the taller boy before he could stop himself. He lets go, cheeks flushing as he stammers out his name.

“It’s nice to meet you, Peter,” Percy grins, smile lopsided. His face becomes more serious, but still just as sincere. “I have something to tell you.”

 

—

 

Jake kept glancing down at his arms during class, but nothing new was added.

He figured his two soulmates were busy getting to know each other in person to update him. Hopefully he’d get information later.

 

—

 

They’re in the corner, sitting next to each other, hands intertwined.

“I know you’re Spider-Man.”

“What?” Peter’s voice rose an octave. “Me? Spider-Man? That’s ridiculous!”

Percy just raised an eyebrow as he turned their hands over to show the spider tattoo on his left wrist. “So you, Peter, who’s my soulmate, just happen to be represented by the Spider-Man logo?”

Peter’s gaze fell to Percy’s wrist. He never knew _exactly_ what the mark symbolizing him looked like. But there it was. The spider that was emblazoned on all his suits.

 

—

 

“Jake, just calm down,” Gina glanced up from her phone. “They will let you know what happened when they can.”

Jake stopped pacing for a minute. “I just want to know what it was like for them to meet. I wish I could have met them, too.”

“And you will,” Gina looked back down at her phone. “But we have to wait a little bit longer.”

 

—

 

“You died.” Percy’s voice was soft, barely a whisper. It left no room for question. “I heard what happened.”

Peter sighed, glancing down at their intertwined hands. He squeezed his soulmate’s hand. “I did.”

Percy surges forward, pulling his younger soulmate into a bone crushing hug. “I can’t believe I lost you and didn’t know. I—” Percy was lost for words. He had lost too many people already, due to who he was. Demigods led dangerous lives. Ever since he realized how dangerous it could be, he wished his soulmates wouldn’t have to go through it.

But it seemed like Peter had his own problems to worry about.

 

—

 

Peter could tell by the way Percy hugged him that the older boy had lost too many people. That he had seen things that haunted him.

Maybe they weren’t so different.

 

—

 

_we wish you were here_

**we can’t wait to meet you**

It’s all he gets for another two hours, but it’s enough for Jake.

 

—

 

Percy tells Peter about demigods, that the gods are real, about what he’s faced.

It’s only fair that Peter know about him, when Percy knows that Peter is Spider-Man.

Their hands never separate during the conversation, holding on to each other as if they were lifelines. They aren’t ready to let go just yet.

They part two hours later, with each other’s phone numbers and with a kiss that Percy gently places on Peter’s forehead.

There’s much more to discuss, about being a superhero and a demigod, and what they’ve faced, but they have plenty of time.

 

—

 

Jake’s heart is heavy every time his two soulmates meet. 

He knows he will meet them, but he wishes he were with them now. They know more about each other than he does at this point.

But he’s still happy, because both of them are still alive and they care about him.

 

—

 

Peter is clingy, especially in his sleep.

Percy has an overwhelming instinct to have his back protected at all times. Maybe it comes from his time with the Achilles curse, or just from being a demigod who is always on edge.

So they curl up together on Percy’s bed, Percy’s back against the wall as Peter rests his head against the demigod’s chest.

They feel at home, but they still know one piece is missing.

 

—

 

Jake is graduating college, and he hasn’t met either of his soulmates yet.

But then again, neither has Gina. She has one, and she has yet to meet them.

 

—

 

Percy is living in New Rome during the school year. He has been for a little while. He does it to keep himself safe, to keep his family safe. He can’t let his family, or his soulmates, suffer if he gets attacked by a monster.

It’s not Camp Half-Blood, but he’s getting an education that’s tailored to demigods. They understand the ADHD and dyslexia.

He talks to his soulmates whenever he can, and when he’s home in New York, he and Peter spend most of their time together.

 

—

 

Peter has met Annabeth, Rachel, and Grover, Percy’s three best friends.

They are good people, and they love the son of Poseidon fiercely.

 

—

 

Percy is at New Rome University, with Annabeth, Rachel, and Reyna at his side.

The rest of their friends are younger, and will be joining them during the following two falls. But for now, the four of them stick together.

Four heroes, two who had been praetors, two who had been leaders of Camp Half-Blood, and a clear sighted mortal. A daughter of war, a daughter of intelligence, a son of the sea, and the Oracle.

They seem mismatched, but they are inseparable.

 

—

 

Peter is starting at MIT, paid for by Mr. Stark.

Peter received scholarships due to his high grades in high school, and the Stark Internship, which had been one of the best experiences in his life.

He is happy. He is going to be away from home, but he has Ned, MJ, May, Mr. Stark, Pepper, and his soulmates in his corner.

 

—

 

Jake joins the police academy. 

He wasn’t sure what his two soulmates were up to exactly, but both were fighters, survivors. They never said outright, but Jake was sure they were both heroes, working on saving the world. He wanted to do that, too. He wanted to live up to his soulmates.

He partly wanted to do it for his soulmates. The spider that looked suspiciously like the Spider-Man logo, and the trident that had been unreachable and faded for many months.

Jake knew based on what they told him that they had both suffered loss and pain. And while he couldn’t ever relate to exactly what they went through, he wanted to try and keep other people safe.

So he enrolls in the academy, gets ready to spend time away from Gina, his one constant. He does it for them. 

But he also does it for himself.

 

—

 

Rosa is fierce and cunning.

But she is also scared, deep down.

Jake befriends her, and he thinks it’s one of his better decisions.

 

—

 

Piper, Leo, Frank, and Jason join them at NRU

Hazel and Nico have one more year before they can go to college. 

 

—

 

Peter makes some new friends, ones he has to act careful around because they can’t know he’s Spider-Man.

Queens misses their hero, but know he’s still out there.

 

—

 

Tony Stark and Pepper Potts get married in October, and Peter goes home for the wedding. He’s one of the groomsmen, along with Rhodey. 

Percy is home, too, that weekend, and the demigod is his date.

 

—

 

Percy watches as his soulmate’s father figure gets married, watches the amazing Ms. Potts join the family.

It makes him smile.

 

—

 

Jake only has one close friend at the academy, but Rosa is more than enough. She is tough, and she is fierce. She pushes him to do his best, and calls him out when he makes mistakes.

She makes him want to be better.

 

—

 

Jake is a beat cop, and he’s only catching thieves, not solving crimes, but he knows he’ll get there. Someday. He wants to be a detective, hopes that maybe one day, he and Rosa will work together.

They are at different precincts, but they don’t let that get in the way of their friendship.

They meet up every week at a bar.

 

—

 

Peter goes on missions with the Avengers when he’s home for breaks, and continues patrol. He loves his city, and they love him.

He won’t let them think he forgot them.

Percy checks in on him after every mission, and after patrols.

 

—

 

Percy trains every day, teaching the new arrivals how to protect themselves, how to keep themselves and others safe.

He does the same at Camp Half-Blood when he’s home. He knows firsthand what it’s like to go into a quest with barely any training. 

He wants every demigod to have a fighting chance of survival.

 

—

 

Jake makes his first arrest, and he buys a car.

His soulmates are proud of him.

He still hasn’t met them, and he’s starting to feel like he won’t for a few more years. He wishes he could be with them, and they know that.

To spare his feelings, they don’t write on their arms about meeting up.

 

—

 

Messages are more scarce.

They’re all busy, living their lives and trying to stay alive.

The words scrawled across their arms become reminders for themselves, rather than notes for each other.

get gas

**meet ana @ lib @ 3**

_bio 315 hw due mon_

meet rosa @ 9

text gina

**call aunt may !!**

_RED had a vision_

_buy estelle's gift_

**lab w/ ts and bb @ 5**

 

—

 

They are all distant, but never forget each other.

They are grownups now, in the ways that matter.

Jake has an apartment now, the one that used to be his nana’s. The one where he and Gina grew up together, watching tv and making messes. It’s kind of lonely, as Gina has her own apartment, but they meet up often enough.

Peter has a job on campus, working in the labs. It’s familiar, reminds him of Mr. Stark’s labs, though it doesn’t quite feel like home without the bots. He enjoys his time, and likes his new friends, but sometimes, he wishes he was back home.

Percy has lived longer than expected, a war veteran twice over at age twenty-one. He is scarred and not as optimistic, but still loves fiercely. He lives with Rachel in an apartment, as their other friends all live with their soulmates.

 

—

 

On the anniversary of the wars, the demigods, and Rachel, meet at the memorials. There’s one at each camp, and they travel to the one closest to them. It’s in honor of all those lost, names engraved along with a short message.

They are too young to know loss this strong.

 

—

 

The heroes gather in the waiting room of the hospital, a sight to see.

They are all in their uniforms, having come straight from a battle. Those without masks have dirt on their face, and they’re all exhausted, but excited.

Nine hours later, Tony walks out, looking tired, but proud. The drowsy heroes are all of a sudden awake.

“It’s a girl. Morgan.”

 

—

 

Jake makes detective, and he has his first case.

The 99 is an interesting place, but he’s already excited. He works closely with Charles Boyle, and they quickly become close friends.

He’s even more excited when a few months later, Rosa Diaz walks in, a detective.

 

—

 

Peter is the first to hold the baby, and his eyes are wide as he holds her carefully.

“Congratulations,” he whispers to Pepper and Tony as he looks at Morgan. She babbles softly as her small hand reaches out for him.

The happy parents smile at each other softly, before Tony turns to look at Peter.

“I think she likes her big brother.”

Peter’s eyes widen at that statement, and he looks up.

It’s been unspoken until now, how close he and Mr. Stark have gotten. They spent time together in the lab, and Tony went to Peter’s academic decathlon meets when he was still in high school. They have movie night once a week whenever Peter’s home, and May and Peter are often spending time with Pepper and Tony, even if the other isn’t around. May and Pepper had become close friends, and had girls’ nights sometimes. Tony and Pepper had even been added as guardians in case something happened to May, and Peter was still a dependent.

“You’re part of the family,” Pepper’s eyes sparkled. “You and May. We want both of you to be part of Morgan’s life. You as her brother, and May as godmother.”

Peter’s eyes well up with tears. He has been thinking of them as family for a long time. He lost his parents, and his uncle, but he found a family with May, Tony, and Pepper. And now Morgan.

To know they feel the same makes this one of the best days in his life.

 

—

 

Jake has a case that brings him to a murder of a young teen, found in an alley, one leg missing. It looks like something bit it off.

It’s a weird case, and Jake and Rosa pass theories back and forth.

 

—

 

Another demigod has been killed by a monster, and Percy feels the guilt weigh heavily. He wishes he could’ve saved her, but got there too late.

The monster is dead, but so is she.

 

—

 

There’s one or two clear sighted mortals, legacies or demigods at each precinct to cover up cases that are connected to the mythological world. They are still a secret after all.

Percy knows this, so he walks into the 99, looking for Amanda. She left camp a couple years before he started, but he knows of her.

She blends into the background, trying not to draw too much attention to herself.

“Hi, can I help you?”

 

—

 

Jake is stunned to look at the stranger’s eyes, but pushes the thought aside. They may be beautiful, but he has a job to do.

“Yeah, hi. I’m looking for Amanda, uh…” the stranger glanced at his hand. “Sterling.”

Jake searches his mind to remember where she is. He had just seen her. “Yeah, she’s in the copier room. Down the hallway, second door on the left.”

“Thanks,” the stranger smiles, before walking the way Jake told him.

Jake continues on, going back upstairs to talk to Rosa. When he drops his folder, he sighs, before going to pick it up.

He pauses when he sees the name “Amanda Sterling” written on the palm of his hand in his Sea Prince’s handwriting.

 

—

 

Peter is reading to Morgan under the careful watch of her parents, who are smiling softly at the scene.

Though Peter is not biologically theirs, and Aunt May is the mother figure in his life, they love him as if he was theirs.

 

—

 

“Amanda?

A petite, blonde woman turns around. “Yes?”

“My name’s Percy Jackson and—”

“The great hero,” she smiled. “I’ve heard about you.”

Percy smiled sheepishly. “Yeah, well…”

“What can I help you with?”

“It’s about a case.”

 

—

 

Jake knows he needs to get the file to Rosa, but one of his soulmates is here.

It’s then that Gina walks by, and Jake pulls her aside. He’s thankful that he got her a job at the precinct.

“Gina! Can you get this to Rosa?”

“Do it yourself,” she responded, not looking up from her phone.

“One of my soulmates is here.”

 

—

 

Peter’s instagram is full of photos of Morgan Stark, with plushies and blankets with Spider-Man on them. Her rosy cheeks and wide eyes garner a lot of likes.

They’re often captioned with the words “baby sister.”

He gains thousands more followers.

 

—

 

Annabeth is at Camp Half-Blood, waiting for her best friend and brother in everything but blood to return. He had been a witness to the death of a half-blood, killed by a monster that he sent back to Tartarus.

The cops were trying to figure out what happened, so Percy went in to find an employee that new of the demigod world. Her name was Amanda, and she was a daughter of Hermes that Annabeth vaguely remembered from her early years at camp.

Annabeth waited at the top of the hill, waiting for him.

 

—

 

Rumors start flying that Peter Parker is actually Tony Stark’s son, and his life is flipped upside down.

Peter denies the claims, knows that his birth parents were Richard and Mary Parker. But the Starks are family in the ways that matter, and he’s called Tony dad a few times.

They try and decide if they are going to say something.

 

—

 

“I’ll take care of it,” Amanda promises. “I can call one of you, say you’re family, if you’d like to collect her belongings, and take her back to camp.”

“Thank you,” Percy replied softly. “She was too young…”

“We all were,” Amanda agrees.

 

—

 

Jake waits impatiently outside the door, waiting for Amanda and _his soulmate_ to come out. He doesn’t know what they’re talking about, but it has to be important.

Amanda always seems to know something about their weirdest cases, and she gets them closed based on information from “people who understand something bigger than y— us.”

His soulmate seems to be one of these people.

 

—

 

Peter is seen out one day with the Starks and Aunt May.

The tabloids go crazy.

 

—

 

“You’re my soulmate,” is the first thing Percy hears as he leaves the room, Amanda behind him. They are both misty eyed, having shared a few of their experiences with the godly world and the loss they had felt at too young an age.

“What?” Percy asks, staring at the detective in front of him, the one who told him where Amanda was.

The detective held up his hand, and there, in Percy’s handwriting was _Amanda Stirling._

 

_—_

 

Peter sees words appearing on his arms.

Percy and their other soulmate have met.

 

—

 

Jake takes his lunch break, and he and Sea Prince ( _Percy_ , he reminds himself) go to a nearby cafe.

Jake wants to know everything, know about their other soulmate ( _Peter_ ) and why Percy was talking to Amanda. Does he know something about the weird case he’s working on with Rosa? 

“She’s… a distant family member,” is all Jake gets in response.

“Does she have family to come get her?” The cases in which kids and teens are the ones that are victims hit Jake the most, and he hopes that the girl’s family can have closure.

“One of her siblings will be by later,” Percy runs his fingers over the trident on Jake’s left wrist. “I’m sorry for all the worry I put you through when I was… unreachable.

“You’re here now,” Jake whispered as he rested his head against Percy’s shoulder, as if that’s all that mattered.

And it was.

 

—

 

Peter texts Percy, sends a picture of him and baby Morgan, to show their soulmate (whose name, Peter now knows, is Jake).

They make plans to all meet up soon, Percy offering his apartment up for that Saturday, two days away.

 

—

 

Jake goes back to work, beaming, Percy and Peter’s numbers now in his phones. He still has work to do, and cases to finish, but he has finally met one of his soulmates.

Charles is the first to notice, and is the most excited.

But they are all happy for him. They know he has been waiting, knows that he has been through a lot of emotional turmoil because of his soulmates. 

They’re happy that he is happy.

 

—

 

It is Saturday, and Percy is bouncing up and down on the balls of his feet.

It’s summer, so Percy and Peter are both home. The demigod just finished his last year of college, and Peter is preparing for his senior year. But right now, they’re just excited to all be together for the very first time.

 

—

 

Peter hugs Percy, relaxes into the tight hug as the superhero presses his ear against Percy’s chest to hear his heartbeat. It lets him know he’s alive. 

Peter likes being shorter, feeling safe in his soulmate’s arms.

He wonders how tall Jake will be.

 

—

 

A kind looking woman opens the door, a smile on her face. She brushes back a strand of brown hair, tucking it behind her ear, before readjusting the toddler on her hip.

“You must be Jake.” She opens the door wider, inviting him in. “I’m Percy’s mother, Sally. My son’s told me a lot about you.”

Jake enters the apartment, taking in the small, but homey apartment. There’s a lot of blue, and there are toys scattered across the living room floor. There’s an open laptop on the coffee table, and a pile of graded papers in the kitchen.

“It’s nice to meet you,” Jake greats her sincerely. “Is Peter already here?”

“He got here about ten minutes ago. They’re in Percy’s room. Down the hall, second door on the left.”

“Thanks,” Jake smiles, nervous about meeting his other soulmate. He cares about them both, but this is the first time all three of them will be in the same room.

“Whenever you want, I have cookies in the kitchen,” Sally calls out as he walks down the hallway.

Jake thanks her again, before turning to look at the door. There’s a sign on the door, reading “PERCY’S ROOM” with blue scribbles, that Jake guessed Percy’s sister had done.

He knocks.

 

—

 

They all just stand and stare at each other.

Percy is the tallest, though only by two inches. Jake stands two inches taller than Peter, which the superhero notes happily. It means when either of them hug him, he’ll be enveloped by them, feel safe.

He’s always liked being the small spoon.

 

—

 

They end up curled up together on Percy’s bed.

Percy’s back is up against the wall, having claimed the spot before the others could move. It was a habit, making sure no one could sneak up on him. He already has enough scars on his back.

Jake is situated between the two, his back up against Percy’s chest, Peter’s face tucked into his chest.

 

—

 

It’s the unspoken agreement to keep Jake safe from monsters and villains that placed the detective between the superhero and the demigod. They know he’s not helpless— he works for the police, after all. But those are normal humans, not ones with alien weapons, and not the monsters that always find Percy.

They need to keep him safe from their worlds.

 

—

 

Percy gathers more scars from fighting monsters, not all of them able to be healed by ambrosia. He continues to train the younger demigods, but he’s retired from the hero business. He’s done more than his share.

He’s still considered the Savior of Olympus.

 

—

 

Peter defeats villains, and puts away criminals. He goes on missions across the world with the Avengers, when it doesn’t interfere with his education. He babysits Morgan, and starts going to Stark Industries meetings.

Both Pepper and Tony offered him a job.

 

—

 

Jake solves crimes, is garnering a reputation as one of the best detectives at the 99th precinct. He gets closer with his coworkers, and finally feels confident where he is in life. He has a job that he loves, he has his soulmates, and he has his friends.

Things are okay, for the first time in a while.

 

—

 

The 99 gets a new captain, and Jake isn’t super happy about it. But his soulmates tell him to give it a chance.

They’re right.

The precinct becomes a family.

 

—

 

It’s been a year since all three met.

They are all gathered at the Avengers compound, in the common room. Some of the other heroes are scattered around, talking to each other, or reading books.

Jake is confused as to why they are there, though he has a suspicion. He can tell Percy knows, because he is talking with _Hawkeye and Black Widow_. 

“We have something to tell you,” Peter and Percy’s faces are serious as they usher Jake into Peter’s room.

 

—

 

Jake feels inadequate. He has a superhero and a demigod as soulmates, and he’s just a civilian/mortal without powers.

He’s still trying to wrap his head around it, even after Peter and Percy demonstrate their powers by walking on the ceiling and creating floating spheres of water.

For once, he doesn’t feel like his job is making that much of an impact.

 

—

 

“I’m Spider-Man,” Peter admits. “That’s why I have a room here, why I know the other Avengers. Because I’m one of them. One of the team, and one of the family. An honorary member of the Stark family, and a member of the Avengers.”

Percy raises an eyebrow, and Peter’s cheeks flush pink.

“Oh, right. You probably want to actually see it to believe it,” Peter smiled as he got up off his bed. He made his way over to a wall, then proceeded to walk up it, and across the ceiling, where he proceeded to use his web shooters to make a web hammock.

Jake is speechless, even though he feels like he should’ve seen it coming. The mark was pretty distinctive.

“How many people know?” is all Jake is able to ask.

“Besides the Avengers, only a short list. My aunt, Pepper, my friends Ned and MJ, Percy, and now you,” Peter shrugs as he makes his way back down to the floor. “I like having a secret identity. Maybe one day I’ll tell people, but who knows?”

“Are you some superhero, too?” Jake looks at Percy.

“Well…”

 

—

 

Percy tries to soften the blow, knows that it’s hard for mortals to wrap their minds around the idea of the Greek gods existing, that the myths aren’t myths for demigods. Myths are their history.

He tells Jake about Olympus, and gives him a summary of the wars and the prophecies, explains why he was unreachable for months.

Jake wraps both Peter and Percy in tight hugs when he finds out how they live their lives, how many times they’ve suffered.

He wishes he could protect them.

But they’re the ones with powers.

 

—

 

Jake tells them how hard it was when both his marks were faded. Peter’s, when he had died in the snap, and Percy’s, when he was unreachable, in Tartarus, Alaska, California and Rome.

He tells them it was his friend Gina, who is basically his sister at this point, who kept him going. She made sure he ate, and got sleep. She wasn’t usually the type to help people like that, but they were family. They had been through so much together, that it was no question that she’d help him when he needed it. And he had. With two soulmates, one gone, and the other who-knows-where, she was the one thing he could count on. He had always been able to count on her.

Jake hadn’t slept well, and he’d often be seen running his fingers over the marks.

When Peter’s mark had come back, Jake had broken down in happy tears, knowing his soulmate was alive.

 

—

 

Peter graduates, and when he looks out in the audience, he sees May, Mr. Stark, Pepper with Morgan on her lap, Percy, and Jake. 

He smiles, and he can’t wait to talk to them after.

 

—

 

MJ and Ned join Peter on a week long road trip. They went to different colleges, and though their friendship easily lasted, it’s nice to actually spend time together again.

Mr. Stark pays for their lodging and gas, but they insist on paying for everything else.

It’s nice, to be able to talk to his best friends about everything and nothing.

 

—

 

Jake solves more cases, and the heroes defeat villains and monsters.

They meet up every weekend.

 

—

 

Peter is working at Stark Industries, and Percy continues to work at both camps. He has another job, in the “real world,” so he can afford clothes and everything else he needs.

Jake solves more cases.

 

—

 

Jake is asked to go undercover for the FBI in the mafia.

Without a second thought, he accepts. It’s only when he goes back to his apartment, and sees he has messages from Percy and Peter, does he realize the severity of the situation.

His face pales, knowing what he is about to put them through.

 

—

 

Percy and Peter aren’t happy, but they _are_ proud. Jake is a good detective, and they know he can bring down the Ianucci crime family.

But they know his job is dangerous, that something could go wrong. Jake will have to change his personality, and do things he normally wouldn’t in order to keep suspicions off of him.

They aren’t allowed to have contact with him. Notes from soulmates could be dangerous, could endanger the mission if they’re discovered.

The night before Jake is going to be “fired,” the three of them spend together, curled up. They don’t know how long Jake will be undercover, don’t know when they’ll see each other again.

 

—

 

Percy and Peter stay busy, both with their responsibilities.

But they meet up often, to share their worries about their soulmate, hoping he is okay. The only thing they get from Jake is a small ‘x’ on their left wrist in black ink, replaced each time it starts to fade.

Percy and Peter do the same, in blue and red ink.

 

—

 

Jake hears a little news about the superheroes, and his stomach drops when he hears that Spider-Man and Iron Man had been at the center of an explosion set by this week’s villain. The other heroes had been taking down the enemies and evacuating the civilians. Everyone else had been out of the blast zone.

Jake wanted to leave, go see Peter, but he had a role to play. So he stayed, and laughed with the Ianuccis and the rest of the mafia. He drank, and sang karaoke.

As soon as he gets back to the room that is his for who-knows-how long, he goes straight to the bathroom. When he wipes the makeup off his marks, the spider is just as clear as always.

Peter will be okay, and Percy will make sure of it.

 

—

 

Another quest is issued, and Percy watches as the next generation of heroes sets off. He is uneasy, knowing that this quest will be the start of everything, that one quest can set events into motion.

He hopes they will not face grief and death. They are far too young, only fourteen.

He remembers when it would be him that would be sent off, his friends. They are older now, and don’t go to camp as often, except for visits, or to help the younger demigods train. Quests are no longer their responsibility.

Percy can’t help but wish, sometimes, that he could take them all. Better him, who’s used to the consequences, rather than subjecting the younger demigods to that. They deserve a happier life than he and his friends got.

 

—

 

Peter recovered quickly from the blast, due to his healing factor. Everything hurt for a few days, but in less than a week, he was cleared.

Tony wasn’t as lucky. The suit did shield him from far worse injuries, but it didn’t stop everything. He was in a coma for a week, and in the hospital for a month.

Peter was at his side every day, telling him stories about his soulmates, about Pepper and Morgan.

Pepper couldn’t come as often as she would’ve liked, as she had a company to run, and a daughter to take care of. When she wanted to be with her husband alone, to tell him she hoped he would wake up soon, Peter looked after Morgan.

He was her big brother, after all.

 

—

 

Another burial shroud is laid on the flames.

A daughter of Hecate overused her powers in order to save her friends, and the two new demigods they were escorting to camp.

Satyrs were stretched thin, as gods were claiming their children more and more often. Demigods had created teams to help out with the retrieval of new demigods.

Andrea, Matthew, and Jordan had gone to retrieve a son of Aphrodite and a daughter of Hermes. Andrea didn’t make it back.

Percy watched in silence as Andrea’s friends cried, as the shroud burned, the hazy purple smoke drifting away in the wind.

He hates that he never got to know her, and never will.

That’s the curse of demigods: they tend to die early.

 

—

 

It’s month four.

Jake feels like he’s in a haze as he goes through the motions.

He’s still thrilled that he was entrusted with a mission this important, that the FBI trusted him. But it’s too different from everyday life.

He missed his soulmates, he missed Gina. He missed everyone at the precinct, even Hitchcock and Scully.

When he’s alone at night, he wipes away his fake soul-mark, and the makeup covering his marks, to look at the striking trident and bold spider. He’s always tempted to take a pen and write to them, but he knows he’s not allowed to.

Jake Peralta is usually not one for strictly following rules, but when his soulmates’ safety lays in danger, he listened.

 

—

 

Peter and Percy go apartment hunting five months into Jake being gone.

The three of them had talked about moving in together, and were going to go apartment shopping before Jake had to go undercover.

Though it feels wrong going without him, they need to stay busy. Looking for a place to live together is like a promise he will come back to them, unharmed.

Tony Stark insists on paying.

 

—

 

Jake waits anxiously. The trap is set, and it’s up to him to say the word that will bring his precinct in to end it all.

He waits, knowing the right time will come.

And it does, and his spirits lift when he sees his team burst in and begin to arrest the crime family.

Six months of undercover work, and he is free to go home, to catch up with his coworkers and see his soulmates again.

 

—

 

Jake makes a beeline to Percy’s apartment.

Sally opens the door, and her face softens when she sees the detective. She pulls him into a hug, one that he falls into, because he missed comforting physical contact when he was undercover.

“Go on back. Percy and Peter are waiting.”

 

—

 

Percy and Peter envelop Jake in a hug the moment they see him. Jake relaxes and he smiles. He’s safe, and he doesn’t have to worry about being caught anymore.

They seem to understand Jake doesn’t want to talk about it just yet, so they end up curled together on Percy’s bed.

They don’t wake up until the next afternoon.

 

—

 

The three of them are inseparable for a while, all of them taking time off. It’s the first time they’ve been separated since they met, and it made them uneasy.

Jake likes the affection his soulmates are giving him, enjoys the feeling of unconditional trust they have built up.

They show him three options for apartments.

And seven and a half months after Jake left, and a month and a half after he came back, they picked a place.

 

—

 

True to his word, Tony Stark bought it for them. He insisted, wouldn’t take no for an answer. Peter was family, and therefore, so were Percy and Jake. Tony wasn’t the best at affection, so he showed it in the ways he knew.

It’s decorated with everything they want, no expense spared.

They are all a little awkward about it. Jake is very bankrupt, and Percy and Peter didn’t grow up with that much money.

But it’s an act of love, and their parental units chipped in.

They save the money they earn to use in the future.

 

—

 

Rachel stops by a lot.

Peter and Jake like her a lot, think that the fiery red-head with the powers of the Oracle was a good influence on Percy. She’s bold, and confident.

Peter wants to introduce her to MJ.

 

—

 

His soulmates help Jake prepare for the Halloween Heists.

They have fun with it, and take it to their camps and to Stark Industries. Quickly, it becomes a tradition for all of them.

 

—

 

Life goes well for a while. Not perfect, but good.

They’ve adjusted to living together, and who does what. Percy likes to bake, has since he was young when he and his mom used to bake all the time together. Peter cooks, uses recipes from May’s family, from Tony and Pepper’s families.

Jake is usually never one to be big on chores, and if he lived alone, wouldn’t bother with a lot of them. But his soulmates are pitching in, so he does, too. He cleans up after dinner, and help them clean the apartment.

And at night, they curl up together on their bed.

 

—

 

At the beginning of their relationship, they weren’t very intimate except for cuddling and hugs. Occasionally, Percy would kiss their foreheads.

Now, they were more used to each other, knew each other's secrets. They all had dangerous jobs/identities, never knew what could happen.

None of them had said the “l-word,” yet, and nothing had happened past hand holding and cheeks and forehead kisses. They hadn’t called each other boyfriends yet, but they lived like it.

 

—

 

Percy was the first to say it.

It had been with Annabeth. She, Jason and Reyna were engaged, and very happy. She had asked how he was doing, how his relationship was going. She knew that Jake was a detective, that Peter was Spider-Man. She knew that they were approaching it differently, that they’ve had less time together. She was lucky, and met her soulmates when she was a teenager. But she encouraged him to make it official. She knew how much they meant to him.

He called them his boyfriends, cheeks flushing when he realized what he said. But he realized that’s what they _were_. So he continued to use the label.

 

—

 

Percy was also the first to call them his boyfriends in their presence, and he was also the first to kiss them.

It came naturally to him after so long, but they were also his first romantic partners. While some people had romantic partners before their soulmates, Percy had chosen not to. And while soulmates were usually romantic partners, they weren’t always. But Percy had known, somehow.

Things became easier, because no one was dancing around the unspoken anymore.

 

—

 

Annabeth, Reyna and Jason set a wedding date.

Percy is part of the wedding party, as Annabeth is his sister, and Reyna and Jason are two of his  closest friends. 

It’s still months away, but there’s a lot of planning to be done. Annabeth is Greek, Reyna and Jason are Roman, and Reyna also wants to hold onto her Puerto Rican background. It’s a clash of cultures that somehow works for them.

Reyna’s bouquet is going to be made of traditional flowers from her home, which Nico will shadow travel to get when it gets closer. He has become close with Reyna and Jason, and is happy to help out in whatever way possible. There will also be classic dishes from Puerto Rico, and Latin music will be included.

Reyna’s dress would also have the traditional Roman belt with the knot of Hercules. For the Greek aspect, all three of them would have stefana crowns, and there would be dishes that were classic in Greece.

It was going to be a beautiful ceremony.

Only the best for three of the heroes of Olympus and two former praetors of New Rome.

 

—

 

The wedding is a month away.

Percy, Peter and Jake have their outfits picked out, and are excited.

Then, Figgis calls, threatens Jake and Holt’s lives. They are whisked away for safety, unreachable yet again.

Things start getting hard again.

 

—

 

Annabeth spends a lot of time with Percy, even though she’s stressed about her upcoming wedding. It’s hard for her to see her brother hurting, knowing that yet again, Jake is in danger, and could be away for a long time.

Jason and Reyna understand.

 

—

 

Peter spends half his time at the apartment, the other half at the compound with Mr. Stark, Pepper, May and Morgan.

The apartment feels a little too empty without Jake.

 

—

 

The wedding approaches, and Percy and Peter try and act like they are okay. This is not a day for them: it is for their friends.

So they fake smiles and force laughs, but stay quiet if given the chance. They are stuck to each other, not willing to let the other out of their sight. The only time they separate is when Percy dances with Annabeth.

They are family, and while Annabeth’s father, step-brothers and step-mother are there, it’s Percy who takes up more of her time. She has learned to live with and love her family again, but there were years where she lived year round at camp, where she avoided going home. Percy is only of the only constants she has from that time, the one who encouraged her to try and reconnect with her family again.

Thalia is another, the immortal Huntress smiling proudly at the girl who she will always consider to be a little sister.

She may not age, and her soulmate tattoo is one that all Huntresses share, the mark of Artemis to showcase their devotion to the Hunt, but she knows her actual brother, Annabeth, and Reyna will last.

Annabeth is now officially her family.

 

—

 

Percy and Peter go through stages.

Sometimes they never want to leave the other, and take time off from work. Peter’s boss is Pepper, and Percy volunteers his time to train kids at the camps, and as a former praetor of New Rome, the job he has in the hidden city lets him take as much time as he needs.

Other times, they distance themselves from each other. It hurts, being away from each other, knowing the other feels the same. But sometimes it is too hard. They are supposed to be three, and seeing each other reminds them of that. It’s during these times that their bed is always made, never slept it, and the apartment is not lived in. Peter is either with his aunt, or at the compound, and Percy is back home with his family, or with Rachel in her nearby apartment.

 

—

 

Annabeth stops by the Jackson-Parker-Peralta apartment at least once a week during the six months Jake is in witness protection. Even if Peter and Percy aren’t there, she makes sure to keep everything stocked, knowing they will be back. She doesn’t want them to worry about having food or other supplies.

She is one of three people besides them with a key.

Sometimes Jason and/or Reyna join her, because Percy is also their friend.

The boys (Percy and Peter) don’t talk about their missing third until the moon has risen, and they are alone in their room.

Annabeth sees the cracks in Percy’s happy facade, knows him too well. It’s been fifteen years, and she knows how much he hurts when he looses someone.

Because she understands, too.

 

—

 

Percy breaks during month four as Annabeth holds him in her arms.

He’s good at being strong, and being a pillar of support for others. It’s a little harder for him to ask others for help. She’s one of the few that he’s completely comfortable going to, after all they had been through together.

So she holds him as he shakes, tears streaming silently down his face.

He knows Jake is still alive, but they can’t talk until it’s safe, and there’s a madman after the detective and his captain.

She runs her hand through his hair as she whispers anything she can think of in his ear.

They are twenty-seven, and have seen and lost too much.

 

—

 

Peter is at the compound.

He and Percy needed comfort, and they seek it out from different places. They may be soulmates, but right now, they need family who understands previous loss they’ve been through.

Annabeth and Percy, friends for fifteen years, who fought monsters, titans, and giants together, who went through literal Hell together. Who lost friends and camp-mates. Siblings in everything but blood.

Sally Jackson, the woman who loved her son when no one else did, who had always put him and his safety first, who dried his tears and sang him to sleep, even now. He is her son, and he is hurting.

Peter and Tony, teammates for slightly over ten years, who fought aliens, villains, and a crazy space titan together. Father and son in everything but blood.

And May, who might be Peter’s aunt, but who had raised him as her own for over fifteen years, who cares for him, houses him, feeds him, payed for his education. They are aunt and nephew, legally, but act more like mother and child.

Morgan and Pepper are also with them at the compound. Morgan is almost five now, and she thinks her brother is the best person ever.

Pepper braids her daughter’s hair during movie night, and Peter is in between his aunt and Tony. He’s curled up into May’s side, listening to her heart beat as Tony runs his fingers through Peter’s curls with one hand, the other wrapped around Pepper.

 

—

 

Jake is antsy.

He wants to be back home in New York, with Rosa, Amy, Charles, Gina, Percy, Peter. He’d even be happy to see Hitchcock and Scully.

He and the captain have to act like strangers, neighbors who only talk to greet in each other in the mornings.

 

—

 

Amy likes to visit Jake’s soulmates.

She knows a lot about them, because Jake likes to talk about them. She finds it endearing how much he cares about them, how proud of them he is. She hasn’t known them for that long, but she knows plenty about them. They met for the first time a year ago, and when one of the detectives host a holiday, they stop by for a short time. They each have a family they are very close to, that they visit whenever they can.

And it’s not like the detectives don’t have family. But Peter and Percy seem closer to them, as if they finally have time to act like a family again.

Since the precinct is family, Jake is family, and so are his soulmates.

It’s a little easier missing him with each other.

 

—

 

Percy and Peter decided in the middle of month five that the apartment was too quiet.

They went to a nearby shelter to find a pet.

Peter had never had one, though Ned had a puppy. And Percy had had a pet, though she was a creature of the Underworld. Mrs. O’Leary stayed at camp, where she had more room, and demigods to play with. And Blackjack was more of a friend, who roamed the skies, and helped Percy when he needed it.

They hope this will make it easier for them to be around each other without worrying about Jake too much.

They can’t decide between the small black kitten with a patch of white fur in the shape of a heart on her chest, and the golden retriever puppy with big brown eyes that melts their hearts.

They leave with both.

 

—

 

Oreo and Daisy get along perfectly. Oreo likes to curl up on Daisy’s back to take a nap, and Daisy likes to play with Oreo when the kitten will let her.

Percy and Peter smile a little more, and their laughs are more natural.

 

—

 

The 99 has a new captain, and CJ really has no idea what he’s doing.

But it gives them the chance to help out Jake and Holt. They work hard, sometimes spending extra hours on top of their already long shifts.

They all want the Captain and their friend back.

Even Gina is more reserved.

 

—

 

There’s no time to let Percy and Peter know that they’re rushing down to Florida to keep Jake and Holt alive, to capture Figgis.

It’s quick, everything happening in a blur.

They’ll have time for reunions later.

 

—

 

Amy calls them as soon as she can.

She tells them that Jake is alive, that they have Figgis in custody.

She hesitantly, but with a steady voice, tells them that the only way to get Jake away from the gun pointed at his head was to shoot him in the leg.

They are quiet, and she knows they don’t like that he is hurt, that she, one of Jake’s closest friends, had to do it, but he is alive.

That’s what matters.

 

—

 

Jake is surprised to see a kitten and a puppy in the apartment when he comes home. They look a little warily at him, sniff him cautiously.

But when they see Percy and Peter embrace the detective, they decide he’s worth getting to know. Daisy sits at their feet, Oreo on top of her.

They sit in comfortable silence, glad to be together again.

 

—

 

Jake watches the way Peter and Percy interact now that he’s back.

There are subtle differences. He can tell they aren’t as used to each other as usual. They used to know each other’s patterns and habits by heart, could move around each other without speaking, easily.

But now, they stumble a little, and it takes more time to get things done.

At first, Jake thinks it’s because of Daisy and Oreo, who like hanging around their feet. Oreo will weave between their feet, and Daisy is always following them.

But then, Jake comes back after his first day back at work, sees both pets curled up together, asleep on the floor. And Percy and Peter are cooking and baking, and he watches them hesitate, before stepping around each other. They bump shoulders, not on purpose, but because they don’t expect the other to be there.

Jake decides to ask Annabeth and Ned about the six months he was gone.

 

—

 

Annabeth smiles softly when she opens the door for Jake. 

She knows why he’s here.

 

—

 

“It was hard for them,” Annabeth starts. “To be around each other, sometimes. I know you all love each other, but seeing each other only reminded them that you were gone, that there was a possibility you might not come back. They’ve faced too much loss, and they tried to distance themselves, in hopes it would hurt less. Sometimes, they were inseparable, didn’t go into work. Other times, the apartment was empty. Peter would stay at the compound, and Percy with his family, or he would come visit us.”

She tells him how the pets helped them heal enough to be around each other again, how she and Reyna and Jason, the other demigods and Rachel, and MJ, and Ned, and the Jackson-Blofis and Stark families helped.

Jake thinks he owes a lot to them.

 

—

 

Jake goes home, and hugs his soulmates tightly.

“I’m here, I’m safe. We’re okay.”

 

—

 

Two weeks later, and they are better. They aren’t perfect, and never will be. Jake is a detective who has been undercover with the mob, who was hunted by a madman and had to be in witness protection for six months. Peter is a superhero, has been for over ten years, who fights aliens and villains, who once _died_ , and still continues to remain anonymous. Percy is a demigod who has been a war hero twice over before he turned eighteen, who knew loss all too well, walked through Hell, who will always have to be on edge, look over his shoulder for monsters.

But they have each other, and that makes it bearable.

 

—

 

Jake is excited to be working with Rosa for Melanie Hawkins.

She’s an amazing detective, and she took them both.

Rosa is one of his best friends, and working together on something that they had only dreamed of before seems too good to be true.

 

—

 

It was too good to be true.

 

—

 

The sentence is given, and Rosa and Jake are escorted out of the court room.

The ground shakes, and the water in the nearby fountain rises up, swirling angrily. It froths, and tries to escape its confines.

Amy sees Percy and Peter out of the corner of her eyes. Peter is pale, shaking slightly. Percy is angry, and his hand creeps towards his pocket, where Amy knows he always keeps a pen for some reason.

Amy Santiago is smart. She’s seen Jake’s tattoos, knows his soulmates. It can’t just be a coincidence that the mark that symbolizes Peter Parker is the Spider-Man logo. It fits—she did her research.

But she doesn’t say anything—Peter obviously wants to keep it a secret. She respects his choice.

Then there’s Percy. Something is different about him. She sees it in the way Jake glosses over a lot of Percy’s childhood, what he’s been through. She sees it in Percy’s quick reflexes, and ability to think of an action plan in high pressure situations (a paintball battle and the one time he was with Jake and Amy when a robbery went down). It’s his tattoo, not his soulmarks, but the other one, and the beads around his neck. He also helped solve Jake and Rosa’s weird case about four years back. He met with Amanda, and then the woman was able to close it with ease, contacting the family of the girl who had died. Amanda solves weird cases, and they never get to know how.

So Amy wants to figure it out.

 

—

 

The precinct works tirelessly to free Jake and Rosa.

While Rosa may be tough, and Jake jokes about everything, they know how this will affect them. Jake used humor as a coping mechanism, and Rosa shuts everyone out.

They don’t want them to retreat further into their own heads.

It won’t do them any good.

 

—

 

Weather in New York isn’t pleasant the next couple weeks. It rains a lot, and the ground shakes under peoples’ feet.

No one can explain it.

 

—

 

Percy has faced a lot. But having one of his soulmates wrongfully imprisoned not _that_ long after being gone for six months…

He doesn’t want to cause the bad weather. And usually the clouds don’t respond as strongly as they are now. That’s Jason’s realm.

But his emotions are swirling so strongly that he pulls the rain down.

He asks Jason if he can help out.

The gods are silent.

 

—

 

Poseidon knows his son is hurting, sees the way the water responds to Percy’s emotions. Percy is the most powerful son of Poseidon in history, partly because he recognizes the extent of his powers. Tartarus opened his eyes, even if he never resorts to what he learned down there.

But mortal events are not supposed to be messed with.

Instead, he keeps an eye on his son, and lessens the affects of his powers as subtly as he can.

 

—

 

Jake hears things about what’s going on on the outside while he’s in prison, knows that New York is facing a string of days of bad weather and a mysteriously shaking ground that no one can explain.

He hears that the spider-themed masked vigilante-turned-Avenger is working tirelessly to put an end to crime in New York.

Jake knows his soulmates are hurting.

 

—

 

Peter spends more time as Spider-Man. He tries to gather information on Melanie Hawkins, using Karen to record anything he sees.

He puts more bad guys away, those who are truly cruel and vicious.

He wants Jake back.

 

—

 

Tony sighs as he watches Peter and Percy train. Sally and May are with him as they watch their boys, concerned. They are quick and deadly in their movements, even without using their powers. They have both been doing this for over a decade, have faced reality in the face, knew how dangerous life could be, how dangerous _their lives_ could be. They are fierce when training, reverting back to their loving selves only after it’s over.

Peter has only grown more and more determined as a superhero, spends more hours out to try and free his soulmate. They’re worried he’s going to get hurt worse than he has before, which is saying something.

Percy is getting better at holding back his emotions. Jason, Reyna and Annabeth are temporarily living with the demigod and superhero to help out.  Annabeth has a soothing affect on Percy, and her soulmates on her.

Tony Stark uses all his resources to try and bring home Jake Peralta and Rosa Diaz.

 

—

 

Amanda is walking through the bull-pen to file a case when Amy spots her.

She pulls her aside, wanting to ask questions.

“How do you know Percy? What did he tell you that got Jake and Rosa’s case closed four years ago? Who are you? Who, or what, is Percy?”

Amanda sighs. She wasn’t surprised that the rule-following latina detective had figured out something was different about them. The godly world is not supposed to be revealed to mortals. But something about Amy’s face, about her name, seems too familiar to just be a coincidence.

 

—

 

Amy is a legacy of Athena. She has a more mild form of ADHD, but it manifests into her hyper-organizing all her things, into her piles of binders. It was her mind that raced, and without knowing why, she had found ways to deal with it. She throws herself into her work to keep her busy, and it’s worked for her.

She also fidgets with pens as she thinks about her cases, and she blurts out answers for questions before they’re finished. She loves working, because it keeps her mind busy, but also allows her to think about a lot of different things at the same time, that connect like a puzzle.

She’s always worked hard, got the grades, so it went unnoticed. Now that she knows Greek gods exist, she thinks it might because of her ancestor, the goddess of wisdom, that allowed her to achieve as much as she did, that drove her competitive edge she’s always had, that made her better.

It’s still a lot to take in.

 

—

 

Percy and Annabeth are curled up together on the couch, watching Disney movies, when there’s a knock on the door.

Reyna gets up without prompting, knowing her soulmate and one of her closest friends are too wrapped up in the movie, and the comfort they provide each other.

In front of her is a detective, obviously coming straight from work, as she’s still in her nice clothes and her badge is on her belt.

“Hi, I’m Amy Santiago,” she holds out her hand.

“Reyna,” the demigod shakes the detective’s hand. “What can I do for you?”

“I’m a friend and co-worker of Jake. I wanted to talk to Percy about something, if he’s free.”

Reyna hesitates as she looks at the two friends talking quietly behind her. “He’s uh, busy. It’s been hard on him, so my soulmates and I are staying with them until Jake comes home.” She smiles fondly as she glances back at Annabeth and Percy. “But is there something I can help you with?”

Amy hesitates. “Do you… How well do you know Percy?”

“I’ve known him since we were teenagers. We, uh, have been through a lot. The group of us.” Reyna pushes up her sleeves, as it’s getting warm in the apartment, as Jason is cooking, getting dinner ready for when Peter returns from patrol.

Amy’s eyes are drawn to the tattoo on her arm. A sword and a torch, crossed. The letters SPQR and ten lines. “Percy has one like that.”

Reyna becomes wary. “He does.”

“Hey, Rey,” Jason’s voice gets closer. He stops at the couch, pressing a kiss to Annabeth’s forehead, before joining the two latinas at the door. He kisses her, too, then turns towards the detective. “Who’s this?”

“This is Amy Santiago. She’s a friend and co-worker of Jake.”

“Nice to meet you,” Jason extends his hand. “I’m Jason.”

Amy smiles, shakes his hand. As it drops, her eyes catch something on his other arm. “You have one, too.” This tattoo is different than Reyna’s and Percy’s. They have a crossed sword and torch, and a trident, respectfully. Jason has an eagle.

“You’re all like him, aren’t you? Demigods.”

 

—

 

The tv is off as the four demigods and the detective are washed in silence.

Percy is the first to break it. “How do you know?”

“Jake didn’t say anything, if that’s what you’re thinking. I just… I noticed things. I talked to Amanda, too. I learned something about myself, when I talked to my _abuela._ She always told fun stories about a group of friends, going on adventures and fighting monsters. Turns out, they were all real. She made me promise never to tell my father. But she was a daughter of Athena.”

“So you’re saying… your grandmother is…” Percy starts out.

“My half-sister,” Annabeth finishes the sentence. “I’m also a daughter of Athena.”

“Son of Poseidon,” Percy offers up. He knows he can trust Amy. She’s one of Jake’s best friends, and the detective trusts his life with her. She also was the one who saved him when Figgis had a gun to his head. Amy’s proved herself time and time again to be trustworthy, that she has all her friends’ best interests in mind

“Son of Jupiter,” Jason continues the introduction. “Romans are real, too.”

“Daughter of Bellona, Roman goddess of war,” Reyna is the last to reveal her parentage. Her mother is typically not as well-known as the others’ are. “The tattoos are from the legion. The Romans do things differently. The symbol is to show our parentage. SPQR stands for Senātus Populusque Rōmānus.”

“The Senate and People of Rome,” Amy interrupts, cheeks flushing slightly. “Sorry, it’s just. I learned a lot about Greek and Roman history in school.”

“You’re correct on the meaning,” Reyna smiles. “And the bars are for years of service. We’re all required ten years. You get a new line after every year, or after an important quest or life-saving act.”

“If it’s Roman, why does Percy have one?”

 

—

 

Jake is visited by his soulmates, along with three of his best friends. The other best friend who is missing is Rosa, also wrongfully imprisoned.

“We’re close to getting you and Rosa out,” Amy murmurs in Jake’s ear as she hugs him. “With our resources, and Mr. Stark’s resources.”

She, Charles and Gina step back after short conversations. They miss him, want to be with him, but they know his soulmates need him more.

Percy and Peter wish they had more time.

 

—

 

Tony Stark finds something, just as Holt announces he has a lead.

Rosa and Jake will be coming home, soon.

 

—

 

Six weeks after their sentence, the two detectives come home.

 

—

 

Rosa closes up, and Jake continues to joke. 

Their coworkers watch them, wanting to help. But they don’t know how. They each had experiences that they can’t relate to. Six weeks is a long time, and the rest of the precinct knows that without Stark resources, it would’ve been at least two more.

 

—

 

Percy and Peter don’t like letting Jake out of their sight.

Nothing will ever be the same again. Each time one of them faces loss, or hardship, it gets harder to become okay again.

But that’s their lives, and they have each other.

 

—

 

Rosa and Jake meet up often to be in each other’s presence. They don’t do much talking, just drink in silence and watch the people in the bar.

They are the only ones who know what they’ve been through.

It’s the best they have.

 

—

 

Percy, Peter and Jake are uncles to Iggy Linetti. She’s small, but already seems to be taking after her mother.

They smile.

 

—

 

Everything is finally calm.

The biggest thing going on is the precinct supporting Amy as she takes the sergeant exam.

She passes, to no one’s surprise. They are all proud.

 

—

 

Percy, Peter and Jake are curled up one fall day, under a blanket as they watch _Die Hard_.

But Jake can’t focus on the movie. Instead, he keeps glancing at his soulmates’ faces, the corner of his mouth pulled up, and his eyes soft, as he watches them smile and laugh, at the movie, and the commentary being made. Peter’s hair is fluffier than usual, and Percy’s eyes are bright, shining. Jake doesn’t know how he got so lucky.

He loves his soulmates. They have never been anything but supportive, even when he threw himself into life or death situations. They worried about him, and showed they cared. They understood that sometimes, he didn’t want to talk about it, that he just needed them close.

They had all gone through a lot to get where they are now.

But he wouldn’t change it for anything.

 

—

 

There are three simple, silver bands hidden in the apartment, custom-made by Leo Valdez. The son of Hephaestus has become a good friend of all three of them, and when approached with an idea, was eager to help.

He himself had been married to Piper for four years, and was excited for his friends to soon be. The rest of their (half-blood) little group was already. Frank and Hazel, four months earlier, with a baby on the way. Grover and Juniper, two and a half years ago with a toddler. Nico and Will, slightly over a year. And Jason, Reyna, and Annabeth.

So Leo designs the silver bands. They each have one of the soul marks engraved on them.

 

—

 

They had all been thinking about it, but Jake is the fastest.

He gets down on one knee, and asks Percy and Peter to marry him.

 

—

 

The wedding is set for the following May.

Tony, Pepper, May, Sally, Paul, and Karen argue on who is paying what. Tony immediately volunteered to pay for it all, but Pepper gently reminded her husband that the other parents might want to pitch in.

The wedding won’t be huge, but the reception will have more guests.

Those at actual wedding include: MJ, Ned, Annabeth, Jason, Reyna, Nico, Will, Frank, Hazel, Piper, Leo, Amy, Charles, Rosa, Gina, Holt, Kevin, even Hitchcock and Scully, and the parents, including Poseidon.

His only demigod child deserves a happy ending, and this is it. Many of his children didn’t get a good ending, and Percy has the chance to be different.

 

—

 

Daisy and Oreo are going to be part of the service, their job being to deliver the rings. Oreo will stand on Daisy’s back as the dog walks down the aisle. They’ll both have ribbons around their necks, the rings kept in place by the bows.

The rings are similar to the engagement rings. They are slim, with their initials engraved on the inside, their wedding date next to them .

 

—

 

Things don’t change too much in their relationship.

They had reached a point where they could share their experiences without too much issue, understanding that they had all been through a lot. There were still some hard days, when they would retreat into their heads, curled up under covers in the dark. Those days would never leave.

But they are getting better. They have each other, have their friends, have their families. When they’re at work and are having bad days, they writes messages and draw doodles on their arms. They run their fingers over their rings, and hold each other close at night.

 

—

 

Annabeth watches Percy with a soft smile as they slide the wedding invitations into the envelopes.

Peter’s at work, and Jake’s on a case, but it gives her the opportunity to spend with her best friend, just the two of them. It reminds her of the early days of their friendship, when it was her, Percy, and Grover.

“I’m happy for you, Perce,” Annabeth leans her head against his shoulder. “They make you happy, just like Jason and Reyna do for me.”

Percy rests his head against hers as he stills, letting the envelope in his hands drop to the table. “Can you believe both of us were this lucky?”

“After everything we’ve been through, I think we earned it,” Annabeth joked as Percy’s arm wrapped around her, pulling her into a hug. He had always been more touchy-feely than she had, but she had learned to enjoy embraces from those she trusted.

Percy yawned as he pulled his legs up onto the couch, letting his friend adjust her own legs to be comfortable. With the addition of Oreo on their laps, dipping down where there was a small separation between their legs, they fell asleep.

 

—

 

People who didn’t know them often thought that Percy and Annabeth were soulmates. They were always close, and the way they were comfortable around each other and could finish each other’s sentences added to the fuel.

They were used to the comments, and let them roll of their backs, and held back laughs when people saw their marks, and realized they were both part of a triad, but not together, as their marks were different.

But really, they didn’t mind it. They thought of each other as platonic soulmates, especially after everything they had been through together.

 

—

 

All three of them have a best man, and the best men each plan a bachelor party.

Ned is in charge of Peter’s, planning a night of science, as that was one of Peter’s favorite things. They would be building robots, watching Star Wars and Star Trek, and hang out with the heroes. They were Peter’s family, too.

Charle’s manages to plan a _Die Hard_ themed party, complete with a couple actors from the movie that Jake gets to meet and take pictures with after a scavenger hunt. The clues all link to important moments in Jake’s life.

And Grover plans Percy’s. It’s not crazy, nothing more than friends hanging out and stuffing themselves with food. Percy doesn’t like to drink, not after Gabe. And his friends are scattered, so bringing them all together is all that he wants.

 

—

 

The wedding arrives quicker than anticipated.

Percy has Grover, Rachel, Annabeth, and his mom with him. Unlike when he was younger, he has a lot of important people now. But these four have been there longer, rank slightly higher on the list. First there’s Grover, his first friend, the one who introduced him to the demigod world and his other friends, and who he could always count on. Annabeth, who had been at his side for the biggest demigod moments in his life, who lived through Tartarus with him. Rachel, his best mortal friend who understood that sometimes he wanted to act like a normal teen, but could also handle his godly heritage. And his mom, who had done everything for him. Kept him safe, got him educated and loved him at his worst.

They mean the world to him, and they are family, always will be, even as he starts this new chapter of his life.

 

—

 

They each walk in through a different door, escorted by their VIPF (Very Important Parental Figure).

Percy was with his mom, Peter with his aunt (because no matter how much he was family to the Starks, May had done so much for him and he loved her for raising him and making sure he had everything he needed), and Jake asked Captain Holt. He loved his mom, but there had been hard years, when his father was away and his mom was at work. He knew it wasn’t her fault, but it didn’t stop it from hurting. Things were better now, but the captain had been the one at his side during the six months in witness protection and who got him out of prison, even at the risk of his job. Captain Holt had been the father figure he deserved.

The captain stayed at the front of the alter as the other two adults made their way to the front row, where they joined the Parker/Stark, Jackson/Blofis, and Peralta/Holt-Cozner family. The rest of the guests were seated behind them, all excited for the three.

Captain Holt was officiating the wedding, Estelle and Morgan had been the flower girls. They scattered a combination of red, pink, and white rose petals down the aisles that their brothers walked down. Gina had carried Iggy down Jake’s aisle at the same time, as she was the closest thing Jake had to a sister. A real sister, one who was at his side his whole life, who made him better, even when he didn’t realize it at the time.

Jake, Percy, and Peter stood next to each other, soft smiles on their faces.

As Holt starts to speak, they turn forward, listening to him. There are stolen looks as the captain continues. Peter smiles softly at his soulmates.

Jake’s curls have been tamed, and he was wearing a cobalt tie with little pineapples on it (a gift from Gina). Percy’s tie matched his eyes, matched the ocean, complete with fish and other sea creatures swimming across it. It was a gift from Aphrodite to her favorite hero, even with all the back talk he did. Peter’s tie was red, the color of his suit. Mr. Stark designed it to conceal a suit, just in case. Peter wore the tie any time he went to a fancy event. He liked having a suit nearby. His watch also had one.

They, and their friends and family, were all prepared to fight if a monster or villain attacked.

Luckily, they don’t need to.

 

—

 

Percy kisses Peter, then Jake. He smiles softly as they kiss each other.

They’re all holding hands, wrists pressed against each other’s, as they look out at their families. Everyone is happy for them, happy that they got their happy ending.

 

—

 

The reception is loud, a bunch of demigods, and heroes, and detectives mingling with each other. It is an odd assortment of people, but they all have a few things in common. They are ready to protect, to fight if need be, and they each love one of the grooms.

Katie Gardner and Will Solace are talking with Clint Barton and Terry Jeffords. Natasha is whispering conspiratorially with Reyna Ramirez-Arellano, Annabeth Chase, Michelle Jones, and Rosa Diaz. Steve Rogers stands with Nico di Angelo, Hazel Levesque, and Bucky Barnes. Charles Boyle is engaged in conversation with Leo Valdez and Bruce Banner. All the parents and parental figures are sitting at a table, trading childhood stories about Jake, Percy, and Peter, with each other, all smiles and laughter.

Everyone is happy.

 

—

 

They leave the following morning, driven by Happy to the airport. Tony Stark provided a private plane for them. The other parental figures provided packed suitcases, dog and cat sitting, and money for their travels.

Reyna offered them a place to stay.

 

—

 

Hylla and Reyna had renovated their childhood home in Puerto Rico after the war. They had reconciled, gone back to where it all began. They could never live there again, but it was still theirs, left to them by their father.

They cleaned it up, made it livable. They decided to make it a safe home for demigods to visit when they needed a break, a vacation, from their crazy world. There are many rooms, as they renovated larger rooms into bedrooms. With the blessings of a few gods, no monsters can find them, and they don’t have to worry about anything.

Jake, Percy, and Peter will get the house to themselves for a week, as there were no demigods scheduled for the week.

 

—

 

They lounge the first day, admiring the beautiful flowers in the backyard, and the culture of the country.

They are free from work, from the lives of demigods and superheroes.

They open up with each other, show scars to each other for the first time. The scars on Percy’s back and his wrists, ones that hadn’t been healed by ambrosia, nectar, or water. The unseen scars left by Gabe and the loss of past friends. The claw marks on Peter’s chest, left from his fight with the Vulture, the nightmares of dying. The burn scar on his side from when he took a hit meant for Tony. Jake’s healed bullet hole wounds from work and scars from many injuries from childhood with weird stories behind them. The flashbacks to his time in jail.

They are ready to start the next chapter of their lives, together.

 

—

 

Puerto Rico is bright, colorful, and loud.

They stand out, Percy’s tanned skin fitting in the most. They carry themselves with less ease than the natives, shoulders always tense. It comes with the territory of who they are. But they ease up as it becomes clear they are safe. There will be no monsters, no villains, and no criminals that Jake has to deal with.

They learn about the culture, enjoy the food and the views. They smile at the children they pass on the streets, and donate money to a few orphanages.

For first time in many, many years, everything is okay.

 

—

 

The precinct feels empty, quiet without Jake. But this time he isn’t there because he’s on his honeymoon, rather than in witness protection, or undercover with the mafia, or in prison. He’s happy. He’s safe.

Tony, Pepper, Morgan and May miss Peter. He’s their family. But he’s an adult now, starting his own life with people that make him happy. They still look after him, always will. Just like he always will for them.

Percy survived longer than anyone thought. Twelve, sixteen, eighteen, twenty one. He passed all those marks, lived through wars and battles. He found his soulmates, and was heading towards a happy life, and hopefully a happy ending. It was everything that Sally wanted for her son.

 

—

 

Life carries on when they return to New York.

Spider-Man stops robberies, and muggings, and walks people home at night. He goes on missions with the new generation of Avengers. Peter babysits Morgan, and works hard for Stark Industries, which Tony wants to give to him when he and Pepper officially retire.

Jake solves crimes, puts away bad guys. He babysits Iggy, and watches Gina proudly as she decides what her next step in life is. He is proud to watch Amy make strides as a sergeant, and watches Rosa embrace herself, watches as she allows the precinct to meet her girlfriend, her soulmate.

Percy trains more demigods at both camps, loves watching the children grow and make friends. He knows there is danger in their futures, but he will do whatever he can to give them a fighting chance. He teaches them how to use their emotions to magnify their powers, and how to keep emotions from getting the best of them to the point that their powers start causing destruction. He understands.

 

—

 

High school reunions are odd.

It’s weird seeing what kind of people their former classmates had as soulmates. Most people were everyday, normal people. About a dozen had cool jobs, or were high up in companies. Then there’s the two or three who are well-known throughout the country, an actor or a musician.

Jake almost wishes Peter didn’t have a secret identity because to have an Avenger as a soulmate is brag worthy, and he would love to show the people who hated him how well his life worked out. But Peter is still set to be the next CEO of Stark Industries and as an honorary member of the Stark family, catches attention.

Percy doesn’t go to a high school reunion, but meets up with demigods he knew from his early years at camp. Will, Katie, Jake, Malcolm, Nyssa, to name a few.

Peter talks to his former classmates about their lives and jobs. He avoids Flash as long as possible, unsure how his former antagonizer would react to his current job.

 

—

 

They have been married for three years when they decide they want to have a child. They are planning to adopt. Percy is advocating to adopt a demigod child if possible, wanting to give a half-blood a chance at a happy home with loving parents. So many demigods only had one parent in their life, had hardships because of this.

It would give a demigod a better life with three parents, all who understood the danger of life and the urge to protect others. One parent who knew what it was like to be a demigod, who could help prepare her for the struggles, who could teach her how to protect herself.

Peter and Jake agreed.

 

—

 

Eight and a half months later, Aphrodite arrives on their doorstep. She knew of their wish to raise a demigod. So she and some of the other gods kept watch for a match.

And one had been found.

 

—

 

The young girl was an orphan, her father having died in a car crash. Demeter had arrived on the scene, providing documents that proved that the child was hers. Between that, and Demeter’s godly powers, the authorities allowed the goddess to take the child. The girl had been whisked away, brought to Olympus.

She was taken care of for a few days there, as Jake was at a stake out, Percy was at Camp Jupiter, and Peter was at the compound, having just returned from a mission. He was being checked up on at the compound’s med bay.

They wanted all three together when they brought them Demeter’s daughter.

 

—

 

They stare in awe at the little girl, eyes closed as she’s fast asleep. Small wisps of dark brown hair stick up from her head, her small hands gripping the blanket she’s wrapped up in. She’s six months old.

Aphrodite places her in Percy’s arms, trusting the demigod more than the detective or the superhero. She’s known of Percy, watched him longer.

The goddess of love and beauty delivers her to them, rather than Demeter, because Aphrodite wanted to bless the child. Percy had proven himself worthy of being a hero, of being a _god_ , even if he never accepted immortality. However, his love and dedication to his family outshone his other traits, something that Aphrodite appreciated. After all, love came in many forms.

Though she had been hard on him, on all the demigods, he had earned her respect. This was her way of showing him.

 

—

 

Morgan and Estelle are best friends. They are also friends with Iggy, even though she is younger than them.

Some of their friends also have children now. Frank and Hazel have a daughter, and Grover and Juniper have a son, who are added to the group. Annabeth, Jason and Reyna have a son, born three months ago. A daughter will join them in eight.

And little Lili is now a part of it.

 

—

 

Four years pass, and Lili will be starting school soon.

Luckily, there is now a school for demigods, where they’ll get the help they need for their dyslexia and ADHD, where they’ll begin to learn about their heritage, how to protect themselves. They’ll also learn everything else they need to interact with the world.

 

—

 

Peter’s heart ache as he spots a small toddler curled up under what remains of a bed, the home having been destroyed by the villain of the week. 

He had been the first on the scene, as he had just stopped a nearby bank robbery. He might be an Avenger, but he’s still the friendly neighborhood Spider-Man.

Harley is right behind him, Cassie with him. She went back to school to get a masters, and is now finishing up her degree. Scott allowed her to join the team as long as she was responsible, and had another job to support herself with.

None of the other heroes are nearby at the moment, but Karen assures Peter that the cops are on their way. Jake and one of his friends are only three minutes away.

 

—

 

The child’s name is Alexander Wolfe, and he is now an orphan.

His parents were killed, and the weight weighs heavily on Peter, even though he knew there was nothing he could’ve done.

Alexander (who it appears to go by Alex) is sitting with Amy in an empty room, while the rest of the precinct tries to find any remaining family.

But there’s none to be found.

 

—

 

Jake and Peter, now in civilian clothing posing as a witness, take Alex home with them. They won’t let him be alone.

Percy greets them with open arms, and makes sure they have what they need for the traumatized boy. It helps to have a cousin who can shadow travel.

 

—

 

They become foster parents to Alex.

It takes time for the boy to open up, traumatized from the death of his parents and the destruction of his home.

Peter understands, more than either of his soulmates. After all, he had lost three parental figures before he turned fifteen.

 

—

 

Four months later, and everything is better.

Alex gets along well with Lili, and is more at ease with Percy, Peter, and Jake. He starts to open up to Lili’s friends, and his caretaker’s siblings.

Six months into fostering him, they adopt him.

 

—

 

The Jackson-Parker-Peralta family consists of the three adults, their two adopted children, their cat, and their dog.

Their families are nearby, and the other demigods (who don’t all live in New York) are only a portal or a quick shadow travel trip away.

They each keep their last name. They love each other, will always love each other. But their last names are their past, are their identities.

 

—

 

Tony Stark and Pepper Potts retire.

Stark Industries is passed to Peter Parker. He runs it well, following in the footsteps of his honorary parents. They worked hard to get it where it was, and Peter won’t let them down. It will be his company until he’s ready to retire, which is still multiple years in the future.

Eventually, if Morgan follows the same path, it will be hers. If not, they will cross the bridge when it comes to it.

 

—

 

Jake looks around the room, smiling softly at the scene.

It’s Captain Holt’s retirement party, one that they insisted on throwing for him. Gathered around are all the detectives from the 99th precinct, along with friends, soulmates, and kids.

Gina, Rosa, Amy, Charles, Terry, Hitchcock and Scully (who retired the month before), Kevin, Iggy, Nikolaj, Ava, Cagney, Lacey, Lili, Alexander, Percy, Peter, Jake. There are other people Jake doesn’t recognize, people the captain knows from outside of the 99.

His friend’s soulmates, some that he knows well, others that he only knows the name of, linger about with children. They don’t all have children, but many do.

As the adults trade stories, good memories, the next generation runs around, plays in the bounce house, and laugh.

The future looks bright.

 

—

 

Percy puts down his sword.

He’s lived far longer than anyone expected. He fought wars, walked through the Underworld and Tartarus, faced a Titan, faced Gaea. A hero claimed by both the Greeks and the Romans. He’s turned down immortality four times by now. He knows what he wants for life, and it’s not to live forever.

He trained Greek and Roman demigods alike, and offered guidance to his Norse and Egyptian comrades. There are many demigods who credit being alive to the son of Poseidon.

But it’s time to move on. He still trains, stays in shape. He knows monsters can still find him, and that they will find his daughter, one day. However, he retires from working at the camps, and settles into a life he never thought would be his.

His name goes down in history.

 

—

 

Jake’s been offered higher positions over the years. People are impressed by cases he’s solved, bad guys he’s put away.

But he’s happy where he is. He likes being a detective. He likes protecting Brooklyn. It’s his home, so he turns down a full-time job with the FBI, only helping them on a case to case basis.

 

—

 

Peter brings Stark Industries into a new era. He leads the Avengers into battles, and does everything he can to keep everyone safe.

He’s still the friendly neighborhood Spider-Man. He won’t forget his origins, the city that gave him a chance, that believed in him.

He talks with his soulmates about revealing himself as the spider-themed hero.

 

—

 

When the kids are old enough to protect themselves, when Lili can use her powers to their full extent, and Alexander is trained in self-defense. That’s when Peter will tell the world.

It’s not for the fame, not for the glory or praise. He was always content with helping people, and people have respected the secret identity. But people are asking questions. Some of the newer Stark Industry technology is oddly similar to Spider-Man technology. Karen is installed in some parts of the building, and in their apartment.

Jake and Percy’s soulmate mark, the one that represents Peter, has been seen by some people.

Peter wants it revealed on his own terms. He’s made it this far. It only seems fair.

But they have kids to think about. They don’t want them to be targets.

Maybe one day, their kids will be part of the next generation of heroes.

 

—

 

Lili’sfirst year at Camp Half-Blood is when she’s nine, claimed by her mother around the campfire that night. She goes early, to ensure she’s properly trained and protected.

She’s not bitter about her mother not showing up or making herself known until then, not thrown into the world without any clue. Percy taught her well about the world that they share.

Some of the demigods and legacies ask to hear about her dad, knowing that he was a hero. Their parents had been campers at the same time as him.

Lili knows her dad is a hero. They all are. But they’re her dads, first, to her.

She tells them funny stories instead.

 

—

 

Percy didn’t realize how much he relied on training demigods to tire him out. It was rewarding, but exhausting, and the nightmares weren’t as common.

They started up again, with a vengeance.

Jake and Peter wrapped themselves around the demigod, holding him close as Karen projected the stars on the ceiling, letting Percy find Zoe.

When they don’t stop, he makes an appointment with Will. The son of Apollo had diagnosed other demigods with PTSD and depression, and anxiety. He understood the demigod world, so half-bloods could tell him freely what was bothering them, haunting them.

Percy is diagnosed, officially, with PTSD.

 

—

 

Alexander and Lili make Percy blue food on the bad days, with the help of Peter and Jake.

They know enough to understand that sometimes their dad needs quiet, that he might disappear for hours, standing in front of memorials to the lost demigods, or to find Zoe when it’s late at night.

 

—

 

Peter gets severely hurt on a mission, shoving Cassie out of the way. Even though she is also an Avenger, he is the one who is enhanced. He survives where she wouldn’t have.

He’s in the hospital for three weeks, unconscious for one. Even with his enhanced healing factor, it takes time to repair broken bones, repair torn muscles, heal burns, and put his vision right.

More scars are added to his body, and his fear of enclosed spaces only grows.

Being pinned beneath the semi-truck pile-up was too reminiscent to his fight against the Vulture.

 

—

 

An inmate broke out of prison, one who knew Jake from the detective’s time of being unfairly imprisoned.

He’s out for Jake, knowing that he was a cop.

Jake pushes against the suggestion of witness protection. He won’t go through that again. Not now when he has a family.

There’s a compromise made. Jake doesn’t go back home for a few days, since that’s where he’s expected to go. Instead, he stays at the Avengers compound in what used to be Peter’s old room. The three of them have a new room now, along with their children. But Tony left Peter’s old room the way it used to be.

It provides Jake with comfort. He writes on his arm with eyeliner borrowed from Gina. He can’t go without talking to his soulmates and their children. With eyeliner, he can easily erase it in case his soulmates become endangered.

The criminal is caught, and Jake is back home in six days.

It still haunts him, sends him back to the cold cell.

 

—

 

They have bad days, and they have good days. They all deal with in different ways.

 

—

 

Lili is making a name for herself. She’s a strong demigod with a well-known legacy.

Alexander is figuring out who he wants to be. He can’t decide between a detective like Jake, or a superhero like Peter.

They tell him he has plenty of time.

 

—

 

Percy and Peter and Jake are happy.

They have a dog, and a cat, and a daughter and a son, and each other. They have their families and their friends, and they are alive.

There’s more life to see, more memories to make.

And Percy, Peter, and Jake, will go into the future with each other.

**Author's Note:**

> I may write for for this universe in the future. Future parts will likely be added as additional chapters. If there are any characters you'd like me to write about, let me know.
> 
> (I know I changed some things, but I believe that's how it would be in this universe. With Tony Stark's resources, Rosa and Jake would have spent less than the eight canon weeks in prison.)


End file.
